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Scientists have confirmed a cave on the moon that could be used to shelter future explorers |
科学家已经证实月球上有一个洞穴,可以用来庇护未来的探险家 |
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Photo Description:
FILE - A plane passes in front of the moon, Aug. 30, 2023, in Chicago. Scientists have confirmed a cave on the moon, not far from where Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin landed 55 years ago this week, and suspect there are hundreds more that could house future astronauts. (AP Photo/Kiichiro Sato, file)
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图片描述:
文件-一架飞机于2023年8月30日在芝加哥经过月球前方。科学家们已经证实,月球上有一个洞穴,距离尼尔·阿姆斯特朗和巴兹·奥尔德林55年前本周着陆的地方不远,并怀疑还有数百个洞穴可以容纳未来的宇航员。(美联社照片/佐藤喜一郎,文件)
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BY MARCIA DUNN Updated 11:24 PM GMT+8, July 15, 2024
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2024/07/15 |
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CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — Scientists have confirmed a cave on the moon, not far from where Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin landed 55 years ago, and suspect there are hundreds more that could house future astronauts.
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佛罗里达州卡纳维拉尔角(美联社)-科学家们已经证实,月球上有一个洞穴,距离尼尔·阿姆斯特朗和巴兹·奥尔德林55年前着陆的地方不远,并怀疑还有数百个洞穴可以容纳未来的宇航员。
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An Italian-led team reported Monday that there’s evidence for a sizable cave accessible from the deepest known pit on the moon. It’s located at the Sea of Tranquility, just 250 miles (400 kilometers) from Apollo 11’s landing site.
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周一,一个由意大利领导的团队报告称,有证据表明,从月球上已知最深的坑中可以进入一个相当大的洞穴。它位于宁静海,距离阿波罗11号着陆点仅250英里(400公里)。
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The pit, like the more than 200 others discovered up there, was created by the collapse of a lava tube.
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这个坑和那里发现的200多个坑一样,是由熔岩管坍塌造成的。
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Researchers analyzed radar measurements by NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, and compared the results with lava tubes on Earth. Their findings appeared in the journal Nature Astronomy.
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研究人员分析了美国国家航空航天局月球勘测轨道器的雷达测量结果,并将其与地球上的熔岩管进行了比较。他们的发现发表在《自然天文学》杂志上。
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The radar data reveals only the initial part of the underground cavity, according to the scientists. They estimate it’s at least 130 feet (40 meters) wide and tens of yards (meters) long, probably more.
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据科学家称,雷达数据只显示了地下洞穴的初始部分。他们估计它至少有130英尺(40米)宽,几十码(米)长,可能更多。
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“Lunar caves have remained a mystery for over 50 years. So it was exciting to be able to finally prove the existence” of one, Leonardo Carrer and Lorenzo Bruzzone of the University of Trento, wrote in an email.
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特伦托大学的Leonardo Carrer和Lorenzo Bruzzone在一封电子邮件中写道:“月球洞穴50多年来一直是一个谜。因此,能够最终证明其中一个洞穴的存在是令人兴奋的。”
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Most of the pits seem to be located in the moon’s ancient lava plains, according to the scientists. There also could be some at the moon’s south pole, the planned location of NASA’s astronaut landings later this decade. Permanently shadowed craters there are believed to hold frozen water that could provide drinking water and rocket fuel.
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据科学家称,大多数坑似乎位于月球古老的熔岩平原上。月球南极也可能有一些,这是美国国家航空航天局本十年晚些时候宇航员着陆的计划地点。据信,那里的永久阴影陨石坑中有冷冻水,可以提供饮用水和火箭燃料。
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During NASA’s Apollo program, 12 astronauts landed on the moon, beginning with Armstrong and Aldrin on July 20, 1969.
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在美国国家航空航天局的阿波罗计划中,12名宇航员登上了月球,从1969年7月20日的阿姆斯特朗和奥尔德林开始。
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The findings suggest there could be hundreds of pits on the moon and thousands of lava tubes. Such places could serve as a natural shelter for astronauts, protecting them from cosmic rays and solar radiation as well as from micrometeorite strikes. Building habitats from scratch would be more time-consuming and challenging, even when factoring in the potential need of reinforcing the cave walls to prevent a collapse, the team said.
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研究结果表明,月球上可能有数百个坑和数千个熔岩管。这些地方可以作为宇航员的天然避难所,保护他们免受宇宙射线和太阳辐射以及微陨石撞击。该团队表示,即使考虑到加固洞穴墙壁以防止坍塌的潜在需求,从头开始建造栖息地也会更加耗时和具有挑战性。
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Rocks and other material inside these caves — unaltered by the harsh surface conditions over the eons — also can help scientists better understand how the moon evolved, especially involving its volcanic activity.
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这些洞穴内的岩石和其他物质——在漫长的岁月里没有被恶劣的表面条件改变——也可以帮助科学家更好地了解月球是如何进化的,特别是涉及其火山活动的。
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